Discovery of Bifunctional Oncogenic Target Inhibitors against Allosteric Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase (MEK1) and Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinase (PI3K)

J Med Chem. 2016 Mar 24;59(6):2512-22. doi: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.5b01655. Epub 2016 Mar 15.

Abstract

The synthesis of a series of single entity, bifunctional MEK1/PI3K inhibitors achieved by covalent linking of structural analogs of the ATP-competitive PI3K inhibitor ZSTK474 and the ATP-noncompetitive MEK inhibitor PD0325901 is described. Inhibitors displayed potent in vitro inhibition of MEK1 (0.015 < IC50 (nM) < 56.7) and PI3K (54 < IC50 (nM) < 341) in enzymatic inhibition assays. Concurrent MEK1 and PI3K inhibition was demonstrated with inhibitors 9 and 14 in two tumor cell lines (A549, D54). Inhibitors produced dose-dependent decreased cell viability similar to the combined administration of equivalent doses of ZSTK474 and PD0325901. In vivo efficacy of 14 following oral administration was demonstrated in D54 glioma and A549 lung tumor bearing mice. Compound 14 showed a 95% and 67% inhibition of tumor ERK1/2 and Akt phosphorylation, respectively, at 2 h postadministration by Western blot analysis, confirming the bioavailability and efficacy of this bifunctional inhibitor strategy toward combined MEK1/PI3K inhibition.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Antineoplastic Agents / chemical synthesis*
  • Antineoplastic Agents / pharmacology*
  • Benzamides / pharmacology
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Cell Survival / drug effects
  • Diphenylamine / analogs & derivatives
  • Diphenylamine / pharmacology
  • Dose-Response Relationship, Drug
  • Drug Design
  • Drug Discovery
  • Female
  • Humans
  • MAP Kinase Kinase 1 / antagonists & inhibitors*
  • Mice
  • Mice, Nude
  • Molecular Docking Simulation
  • Phosphoinositide-3 Kinase Inhibitors*
  • Protein Kinase Inhibitors / chemical synthesis
  • Protein Kinase Inhibitors / pharmacology
  • Xenograft Model Antitumor Assays

Substances

  • Antineoplastic Agents
  • Benzamides
  • Phosphoinositide-3 Kinase Inhibitors
  • Protein Kinase Inhibitors
  • mirdametinib
  • Diphenylamine
  • MAP Kinase Kinase 1
  • MAP2K1 protein, human